Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1895 — NO HALF WAY HELP [ARTICLE]

NO HALF WAY HELP

SHOULD BE GIVEN TO INDIANA’S CENTENNIAL Ben. Joseph I. Irwin’s Ideas as to What the State Should Do In Aid of the Great Project—Views of Commissioners Martindale, Ilnsklrk and Others Favoring Permanent Exhibits. Hon. Joseph 1. Irwin of Columbus, one of the Indiana Centennial commissioners, says regarding the project: “The State of Indiana, being the center of population of the United States and centrally located as to wealth and business, deserves to stand hig h among her sister states. Her stone quarries are the very best, the product being used in all parts of the country. Her coal fields are so extensive that they are almost exhaustless. Her timber is the best hardwood; her soil is as good as can be found anywhere. The proposition to show to the world all the good things belonging to Indiana, together with the advancement made in the past century, is laudable and deserves the hearty cooperation of our people. To do this will require a large outlay of energy and money. There is plenty of time between now and the assembling of the next legislature for the people to discuss the subject and decide whether they are in favor or opposed.tojthe proposition. If the decision is favorable, there should be no half way support.”

INDIANA’S MEAGER ADVERTISING. Hon. E. B. Martindale, one of the members at large of the Indiana centennial commission, In an interview regarding the project, says: "We should celebrate in an appropriate manner the ‘centennial of Indiana.’ The state has up to this time spent very little money in advertising to the world her century’s development. No state in the union, and in fact no country in the world, has accomplished more in a hundred years. Now, in line with the enterprise her people have displayed, the state should make known to the world what has been accomplished. "In the line of discovery and invention more has been accomplished in the past hundred years than was accomplished in the preceding 500 years. These great discoveries and inventions have been stimulated by our modern expositions. Fulton was regarded as a crank and impoverished himself before he convinced capital that steam could be used in navigation. The con ■ gressmen who voted aid to Morse in the construction of a telegraph line from Washington to Baltimore were ridiculed by their constituents and defeated for re-election. The advocates of the expenditure of a half million dollars by the state in making known to the world what the name ‘lndiana’ stands for will as certainly receive in time the universal indorsement of the people as did Fulton and Morse.

“The same genius that has produced great inventions will produce great improvements in the methods of expositions. The most disheartening feature about the holding of such a modern exposition is the great waste of money in the construction of buildings and preparation of exhibits which are valueless after the exposition closes. I maintain that we can so construct and maintain an exposition that this great waste of money will be avoided, and that the expenditure will be in the nature of a profitable investment to the state. The gate receipts of an exposition depend very largely on its location—the nearer the center of the state, and the center of the greatest central city of the state it can be placed, the greater will be the attendance and gate reMnts. “The state of fortunately the owner of a large plat of ground in the very center of the city, at the very point best adapted to the location of a ‘centennial building.’ The main building should be so constructed that it would be ornamental and a model of architecture in itself, and at the same time contain a permanent exhibit in the departments of science, literature, education, fine arts, decorative arts, electricity, geology, fisheries, etc. The buildings for the display of manufacturing machinery, implements, agriculture, horticulture, floriculture, etc., would be temporary and inexpensive, and be removed at the end of the exposition. The permanent building and the exhibits therein would be permanent, and a sufficient charge made for admission after the main exposition closes to meet the expenses of maintenance. This will be an economical and creditable enterprise for the state, in which no money will be wasted, and should commend itself to the people of the state and to the next general assembly, which will be asked to inaugurate it. THE BENEFITS TO THE STATE. “What will the state accomplish by it? (1.) She will have taken a step in advance of her sister states in the building of and in concentrating the best works in art, education and literature. (2.) She will build up and foster among the masses of the people a love for art, with its refining influence, and stimulate a pride in the great accomplishments of me people. (3.) She will advertise the natenai and skilled development of her '©sources to the people of the world in

a manner and to an extent that cored ■ot be accomplished in a century hr any other method. (4.) This cent-.nu: I building and the exhibits oontaiuvd therein would be an attraction to every visitor to America from foreign countries that would make us the center of attraction as well as the center of population. The conventions of our leading political parties should declare for it and our people should unanimously favor it.” ALL PARTIES SHOULD SUPPORT IT. Thomas B. Buskirk es Paoli, a member of the centennial commission, says: “To enable Indiana to attain her proper position among the states, it is of vital importance that the proposed centennial exposition be held. There €» but one place to hold it—lndianapolis. To remove from it all possible influences of a partisan nature, the platforms of all political parties should declare in favor of it. For the benefit of those to come after o üB, the principal buildings should be of that permanent character suggested by Hon. E. B. Martindale of the commission, in which the exhibits of a permanent, lasting and educational character may be preserved. In aid of the exposition an effort should be made to secure an appropriation from the general government, the erection of a government building and a government exhibit. Aside from this, the exposition should be one of Indiana’s progress, improvement and achievements solely and distinctively. As s matter of detail I would suggest that, besides the exhibits of a.general nature, the exposition be divided into 10 departments, each of which should represent a decade of the conditions and achievements of Indiana as a territory and state.” Commissioner James A. Arthur of Goshen, says: "That we should fittingly celebrate the event goes without saying, and we should do it in a manner that will be commensurate with the magnitude and importance of the state. I am decidedly in favor of making it a permanent exposition, where will be gathered together samples of art, literature, science, minerals and manufactured products of th» state, also a geographical and geological display,coupled with a complete showing of the workings of our excellent school system, and thus show to our sister states and to the world at large the wonderful resources of Indiana.”